Strapless face mask

ABSTRACT

A strapless face mask retainer has a nasal columella bridge defined by a lateral span curved to conform to a facial structure of a wearer and includes a pair of columella pads each receivable within respective nostrils of the wearer. A covering frame is defined at least by a transverse frame span with opposed left and right ends, and by vertical frame arms that extend from the corresponding left and right ends of the transverse frame span. Each of the vertical frame arms define an upper end at least horizontally coincident with or above openings of the nostrils of the wearer. The vertical frame arms also define a lower end that is below a mouth of the wearer.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application relates to and claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/066,887 filed Aug. 18, 2020 and entitled “STRAPLESS FACE MASK” the disclosure of which is wholly incorporated by reference in its entirety herein.

STATEMENT RE: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND 1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to facial covering apparatuses, and more specifically, to a strapless face mask.

2. Related Art

Masks have long been utilized to protect the wearer from a variety of environmental threats. For example, surgical masks may be worn by medical professionals to protect against acquiring from or transmitting infections to a patient. Those risking inhalation of toxic fumes, gasses, particulate matter, and/or microorganisms utilize respirators with differing filtration capabilities depending on the specific hazards that are expected to be encountered. The wearing of masks in public to prevent the spread of infectious diseases was not a prevalent cultural practice in the United States, though it is more common in other countries, notably in those impacted by the earlier Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-1) outbreak of 2002-2004. With the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, mask wearing, together with vaccinations and physical distancing, has become an important cornerstone of reducing transmission worldwide, including the United States.

Not without controversy, the scientific understanding on the transmission mechanisms of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the role various types of face coverings can play in preventing the spread of disease has evolved throughout the course of the pandemic. Masks were not initially recommended in the early stages of the pandemic in an effort to prevent shortages for medical professionals. While recognizing that surgical masks and other cloth/breathable fabric masks were not particularly effective in protecting the wearer from being exposed to aerosolized viral particles in comparison to N-95 respirators that filtered and isolated the breathing passageways of the wearer from the surrounding environment, the recommendations focused on preventing asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic spread by the wearer. Thereafter, many state and county/local government health agencies have instituted public masking requirements per guidance from the federal Center for Disease Control (CDC). These requirements are primarily applied indoors and in poorly ventilated spaces, as well as other areas in which adequate physical distancing (of at least six feet or more) was not possible. Private businesses have enforced such requirements as a condition of entry, and as a means to protect workers.

Public masking requirements were gradually relaxed with the seemingly natural waning of COVID-19 transmission rates, but re-instituted prior to anticipated seasonal surges. Then as vaccination rates increased, the need or desire to maintain public masking requirements again diminished. More recently, virulent strains have emerged that have again resulted in increased infection, even among those that have been vaccinated. Unfortunately, mask wearing has become inextricably intertwined with polarized political positions, and consequentially, states, counties, and localities have taken differing approaches that are more or less in line with the prevailing political climates thereof.

It thus appears that COVID-19 pandemic will continue for the foreseeable future, and public masking, whether imposed as a requirement for entering public spaces, or voluntarily as an individual precautionary measure, will likely remain. Accordingly, there has been a tremendous growth in the market for masks and other face coverings, as well as innovations that attempt to address shortcomings in the art.

One of the chief complaints besides making breathing more difficult have been those pertaining to the elastic straps that hook around the ear or the head of the wearer to retain the covering element over the mouth and nose. Especially over extended durations, larger straps tend to exert substantial pressure on the outer ear, possibly to the point of deforming the lobule and helix. Although the thin elastic bands utilized in surgical masks do not so deform the outer ear, they may nevertheless irritate the skin underneath the areas making contact with the band, either behind the ear lobe or along the face toward the covering material. The material of the covering makes contact with a large surface area of the wearer's face, and with the compressive force applied from the rear of the head as well as the front of the head, not only is breathing difficulty exacerbated, the skin may become irritated and rashes or markings may result. Surgical masks and similar facial coverings are manufactured in multiple sizes to accommodate different face shapes and sizes, and the retention bands are likewise varyingly sized, but there may be unconventional facial features to which the covering and the straps are mismatched. The retention straps also frequently interfere with other personal items worn on the face, namely, eyeglasses, in that removal of the mask when no longer in a public space requires the concurrent removal of the eyeglasses because the strap getting hooked on to the temple and/or the tips of the temple.

Accordingly, the elastic straps represent a substantial point of deficiency with conventional face coverings, and so there is a need in the art for an improved, strapless face mask. There is a need in the art for masks that adequately cover the oral and nasal passageways of the wearer that do not rely on straps to retain the covering against the face.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The present disclosure contemplates various embodiments of a strapless face mask. In one embodiment, a strapless face mask retainer may include a nasal columella bridge that is defined by a lateral span curved to conform to a facial structure of a wearer. The columella bridge may also include a pair of columella pads that extend therefrom. The columella pads may each be receivable within respective nostrils of the wearer. The mask may include a covering frame that is defined at least by a transverse frame span with opposed left and right ends. The covering frame may also be defined by vertical frame arms that extend from the corresponding left and right ends of the transverse frame span. Each of the vertical frame arms may define an upper end at least horizontally coincident with or above openings of the nostrils of the wearer. The vertical frame arms may also define a lower end that is below a mouth of the wearer.

Another embodiment may be a face covering apparatus. The face covering apparatus may include a nasal columella bridge that is defined by an upper lateral span curved to conform to a facial structure of a wearer. The face covering apparatus may also include a pair of columella pads that extend from the columella bridge. The columella pads may also be receivable within respective nostrils of the wearer. There may also be a covering frame that is defined by vertical frame arms that extend from opposing side ends of the nasal columella bridge between an upper position above openings of the nostrils and a lower position below a mouth of the wearer. The face covering apparatus may also include a covering that is fitted on to the covering frame.

The present disclosure will be best understood accompanying by reference to the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features and advantages of the various embodiments disclosed herein will be better understood with respect to the following description and drawings, in which like numbers refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a strapless face mask in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure including a covering fabric positioned thereon;

FIG. 2 is another front view of the strapless face mask detached from the face;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the strapless face mask being worn, and showing the details of a frame structure in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the strapless face mask being worn;

FIG. 5 is a detailed front view of a columella bridge of the strapless face mask according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6A is a perspective view of the frame structure of the strapless face mask with a removable columella bridge according to another embodiment; and

FIG. 6B is a perspective view of the frame structure of the strapless face mask with the removable columella bridge.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of the several presently contemplated embodiments of a strapless face mask and is not intended to represent the only form in which such embodiments may be developed or utilized. The description sets forth the functions and features in connection with the illustrated embodiments. It is to be understood, however, that the same or equivalent functions may be accomplished by different embodiments that are also intended to be encompassed within the scope of the present disclosure. It is further understood that the use of relational terms such as first and second, left and right, distal and proximal, and the like are used solely to distinguish one from another entity without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, one embodiment of a strapless face mask 10 is shown attached to a face 12 of a wearer 14. Although the specific shapes, sizes, and proportions between different facial features are unique to an individual, there are some generalities on which a configuration of the face mask 10 may be based. The portions of the face 12 shown in the figures and pertinent to the features of the face mask 10 depict a protruding nose 16 with a pair of nostrils 18 a, 18 b. The present disclosure refers to relative positional elements from the viewpoint of the wearer, and so the nostril 18 a is understood to be a right nostril, while the nostril 18 b is understood to be a left nostril. Other features of the face 12 and the face mask 10 will be referenced accordingly.

The right nostril 18 a is separated from the left nostril 18 b by a columella 20. In this regard, the right nostril 18 a defines an inner/left columella surface 20 a, and the left nostril 18 b defines an inner/right columella surface 20 b, upon which the embodiments of face mask 10 are attached to secure the same to the face 12. Further details of the securement modalities will be described in further detail below.

The face 12 additionally includes a mouth 22, the boundaries of which are defined by an upper lip 24 a and a lower lip 24 b. The upper lip 24 a is separated from the nose 16 by the philtrum 26. The face 12 is further defined by the chin 28, and the left and right jaws 30 a, 30 b, respectively. One contemplated objective for the face mask 10 is to prevent droplets with respiratory illness-causing viruses (e.g., the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus) suspended therein from being ejected from and entering into the breathing pathways of the wearer 14, including the nostrils 18 and the mouth 22. To this end, the embodiments of the face mask 10 are contemplated to cover or otherwise establish a semi-permeable barrier between the surrounding environment and such breathing pathways.

The face mask 10 in accordance with the embodiments of the present disclosure thus include a semi-permeable covering 32 that may be either permanently or removably attached to a covering frame 34. In general, the covering 32 may be a sheet material with a knitted, bonded, woven, or any other suitable structure, such as cotton, polypropylene, polyester, cellulose, silk, nylon, or the like. Any suitable material may be utilized for the covering 32, and those having ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize the appropriate material for the contemplated applications of the face mask 10.

The sheets of material defining the covering 32 may be formed into a pouch comprised of an inner sheet 36 a and an outer sheet 36 b, each of which are defined by a right edge 38 a, an opposed left edge 38 b, a bottom edge 38 c, and a top edge 38 d. In this regard, the sheets 36 that make up the covering 32 may be generally quadrangular in shape, with rounded bottom corners 40 and sharper upper corners 42. According to one embodiment, the right edges 38 a of the inner and outer sheets 36 may be sewn or otherwise bonded together, the left edges 38 b of the inner and outer sheets 36 may likewise be sewn or otherwise bonded together, and the bottom edges 38 c of the inner and outer sheets 36 may be sewn or otherwise bonded together. The top edges 38 d may be left unattached to define an opening 44, through which the covering frame 34 may be inserted for coupling with the covering 32. The specific shape of the covering 32 is presented by way of example only, and any other suitable shape may be substituted without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Regardless of the shape, however, the covering 32 may be sized to cover both the nostrils 18 and the mouth 22, possibly extending below the boundary of the chin 28 as illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show additional details of the covering frame 34 on to which the covering 32 is mounted, and a nasal columella bridge 48 that is also a part of the face mask 10. The covering frame 34 includes an upper transverse frame span 50 that extends laterally across the face 12. The upper transverse frame span 50 is defined by a right end 52 a and an opposed left end 52 b. In the illustrated embodiment, the upper transverse frame span 50 is characterized by an axial curvature that generally conforms to the curved portion of the cheekbone of the face 12. Furthermore, towards the respective right and left ends 52, there may be a downward bend. Attached to and/or extending from the upper transverse frame span 50 are vertical frame arms 54, including a right vertical frame arm 54 a and a left vertical frame arm 54 b.

Each of the vertical frame arms 54 are understood to be defined by a lower portion 56 that extends downwardly from the end 52 of the upper transverse frame span 50 at which the vertical frame arm is joined, as well as an upper portion 58 extending upwardly from the same. As can be best seen in the side view of FIG. 4, the lower portion 56 has a compound curved structure with a generally vertical section, a section that curves axially outwardly from the face 12, together with an overall inward bend toward the sagittal axis of the face 12 as the lower portion 56 of the vertical frame arm 54 extends downward as apparent from the frontal view of FIG. 3.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, the right vertical frame arm 54 a, and specifically the upper portion 58 thereof, is defined by a top end 60 a that corresponds to the upper extremity of the covering frame 34. Likewise, the left vertical frame arm 54 b and the upper portion 58 thereof is defined by a top end 60 b. The top end 60 a and the top end 60 b may be characterized by an enlarged ball tip that has a diameter greater than that of the vertical frame arms 54. It is envisioned that this enlarged tip aids in retaining the covering 32 to the covering frame 34 due to the added tension to the fabric material applied thereby. It will be appreciated that the example spherical shape of the tip is presented by way of example only and not of limitation, and any other shape that enlarges the tip relative to the vertical frame arm 54 may be substituted.

The length of the upper portion 58, and hence the relative vertical positioning of the top ends 60 of the vertical frame arm 54, may be varied to accommodate different facial shapes. As indicated above, one objective is for the covering 32 to obstruct the nasal passageway, that is, the nostrils 18. Accordingly, the covering 32 is positioned higher than the nostrils 18, and so the uppermost mounting location that corresponds to the top ends 60 of the vertical frame arm 54 may likewise be positioned higher than the nostrils 18 when the face mask 10 is worn/attached to the nose 16.

The vertical frame arms 54 are also characterized by a bottom end 62 that is opposite the top end 60. More particularly, the right vertical frame arm 54 a and the left vertical frame arm 54 b, and specifically the lower portions 56 thereof, are defined by a bottom end 62 a and a bottom end 62 b, respectively. Unlike the top ends 60, there is understood to be no specific point on the vertical frame arm 54 that constitutes the bottom end 62, but there is a region along the vertical frame arm 54 that generally corresponds to the bottom end 62. Interconnecting the vertical frame arms 54 at the bottom end 62 is a bottom transverse frame span 64, which extends between the bottom end 62 a of the right vertical frame arm 54 a and the bottom end 62 b of the left vertical frame arm 54 b. As particularly illustrated in the frontal view of FIG. 3, the vertical frame arms 54 are curved towards the bottom ends 62 as the covering frame 34 transitions to the bottom transverse frame span 64. Furthermore, the side view of FIG. 4 shows the outward or axial curvature of the vertical frame arms 54, which brings the bottom transverse frame span 64 forward and away from the face 12.

Another objective of the face mask 10 is for the covering 32 to cover or obstruct the mouth 22, while also spacing the covering 32 apart from the mouth 22 while conforming the profile to the curvature of the face 12. Thus, the bottom ends 62 of the vertical frame arms 54 may be located below the chin 28, with the bottom transverse frame span 64 likewise extending beneath the chin 28. The rear of the vertical frame arms 54 is understood to abut and press against the face 12, specifically around the jaw region 30 thereof.

The above-described configuration of the covering frame 34 is presented by way of example only, and any other suitable configuration that extends of further contracts the coverage area of the covering 32 may be substituted without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. It is expressly contemplated that a wider coverage area may provide improved protection, though at the cost of comfort. The selected balance between protection and comfort may thus be adjusted for specific applications by those having ordinary skill in the art.

As shown in FIG. 5, disposed in the central region of the upper transverse frame span 50 is the nasal columella bridge 48, which is defined by a lateral span 66 that generally conforms to the curvature of the upper transverse frame span 50 to which it is fixed. The lateral span 66 is defined by a right side 68 a and an opposed left side 68 b. The right side 68 a includes a corresponding right columella pad 70 a, while the left side 70 b includes a corresponding left columella pad 70 b. The right columella pad 70 a is affixed to the end of a right side extension 72 a from the right side 68 a, and the left columella pad 70 b is affixed to the end of the left side extension 72 b from the left side 68 b. The side extensions 72 are understood to have a narrower diameter than the columella pad 70 affixed thereto and may be oriented slightly inwardly toward each other or toward the center of the lateral span 66. The side extensions 72 also raise or extend the columella pads 70 into the nostrils 18, positioning the same against the columella 20. The columella pads 70 are contemplated to abut and compress against the columella 20 so that the nasal columella bridge 48 remains attached to the nose 16.

The nasal columella bridge 48 is generally defined by a front face 73 a and an opposed rear face 73 b, with the side extensions 72 extending from the rear face 73 b. The side extensions 72, along with the columella pads 70 affixed thereto, may be inwardly biased, that is, the columella pads 70 may be spaced apart by a distance slightly less than the typical width of the columella 20. When positioned on to the columella 20, the columella pads 70 may thus exert a gentle inward force against the same. The length of the side extensions 72 may be varied depending on the desired positioning of the upper transverse frame span 50, which in turn depends on the length of the upper portion 58 of the vertical frame arm 54 and the positioning of the top ends 60 thereof. To minimize the leverage that the covering frame 34 can generate, the length of the side extensions 72 is understood to be minimized, while ensuring that the top ends 60 are sufficiently elevated so that the covering 32 placed thereon adequately covers the nostrils 18.

Each of the columella pads 70 a, 70 b may be defined by conforming inner surfaces 74 a, 74 b that contacts the columella surface 20 a, 20 b of the right and left nostrils 18 a, 18 b, respectively. The conforming inner surfaces 74 in accordance with one embodiment of the disclosure is spherical or partially spherical as shown or may have any other surface structure that enhances wearer comfort. Along these lines, the columella pads 70 of the illustrated embodiment has a diameter of roughly 9 mm, though this dimension is presented by way of example only and not of limitation. The columella pads 70 may be constructed of any soft material suitable for extended contact with human skin and may have elastic or elastomeric properties. It is understood that the columella has only a few nerve endings, and the pressure exerted thereon does not result in pain or irritation. With the columella pads 70 being engaged to the nose 16, and in turn, the nasal columella bridge 48 being coupled or integral with the covering frame 34, the covering 32 is effectively mounted to the face 12 without the use of elastic bands looped around the ears or the head of the wearer 14.

The nasal columella bridge 48 may be integrally formed with the covering frame 34 or may be removable from the upper transverse frame span 50. With reference to FIGS. 6A and 6B. one embodiment of the face mask 10 in which the nasal columella bridge 48 is removable contemplates a lengthwise groove 76 or slot that has a curvature that matches that of the upper transverse frame span 50. The lengthwise groove 76 is understood to have dimensions that permit a frictional retention of the nasal columella bridge 48 to the covering frame 34, though any other securement modality that permits removal and attachment may be substituted.

The front face 73 a and the rear face 73 b of the lateral span 66 may likewise conform to the same curvature, but this is by way of example only. Varying sizes of the nasal columella bridge 48 may be provided and be interchangeable with varying sizes of the covering frame 34. In this regard, the wearer 14 may select the optimal nasal columella bridge 48 suited for the particular face 12 and select varying shapes and sizes of the covering 46 as the circumstances and desires of the wearer 14 dictate.

The particulars shown herein are by way of example and for purposes of illustrative discussion of the embodiments of the strapless face mask and are presented in the cause of providing what is believed to be the most useful and readily understood description of the principles and conceptual aspects. In this regard, no attempt is made to show details with more particularity than is necessary, the description taken with the drawings making apparent to those skilled in the art how the several forms of the present disclosure may be embodied in practice. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A strapless face mask retainer, comprising: a nasal columella bridge defined by a lateral span curved to conform to a facial structure of a wearer, and including a pair of columella pads extending therefrom and each receivable within respective nostrils of the wearer; and a covering frame defined at least by a transverse frame span with opposed left and right ends, and vertical frame arms extending from the corresponding left and right ends of the transverse frame span, each of the vertical frame arms defining an upper end at least horizontally coincident with or above openings of the nostrils of the wearer, and a lower end below a mouth of the wearer.
 2. The strapless face mask of claim 1, further comprising a covering fabric fitted to the covering frame.
 3. The strapless face mask of claim 2, wherein the covering fabric is a pouch with an inner fabric sheet and an outer fabric sheet attached together, and defined by an opening.
 4. The strapless face mask of claim 3, wherein the upper ends of the vertical frame arms each define an enlarged retention tip engageable to corners of the pouch defining the covering fabric.
 5. The strapless face mask of claim 1, wherein the covering frame is further defined by a bottom transverse frame span connecting the lower ends of the vertical frame arms.
 6. The strapless face mask of claim 5, wherein the bottom transverse frame span is curved to conform to a chin facial structure of the wearer.
 7. The strapless face mask of claim 1, wherein the lateral span of the nasal columella bridge is integral with the transverse frame span of the covering frame.
 8. The strapless face mask of claim 1, wherein the nasal columella bridge is attached to and removable from the covering frame, the lateral span defining a slot receptive to the transverse frame span of the covering frame.
 9. The strapless face mask of claim 1, wherein the columella pads are spaced apart from each other at a proscribed distance corresponding to a width of a nasal columella of the wearer between left and right nostrils thereof.
 10. A face covering apparatus, comprising: a nasal columella bridge defined by an upper lateral span curved to conform to a facial structure of a wearer; a pair of columella pads extending from the columella bridge and receivable within respective nostrils of the wearer; a covering frame defined by vertical frame arms extending from opposing side ends of the nasal columella bridge between an upper position above openings of the nostrils and a lower position below a mouth of the wearer; and a covering fitted on to the covering frame.
 11. The face covering apparatus of claim 10, wherein the covering is a pouch with an inner fabric sheet and an outer fabric sheet attached together, and is defined by an opening.
 12. The face covering apparatus of claim 11, wherein the upper ends of the vertical frame arms each define an enlarged retention tip engageable to corners of the pouch.
 13. The face covering apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a bottom lateral span connecting the vertical frame arms.
 14. The face covering apparatus of claim 13, wherein the bottom lateral span is curved to conform to a chin facial structure of the wearer.
 15. The face covering apparatus of claim 10, wherein the columella pads are spaced apart from each other at a proscribed distance corresponding to a width of a nasal columella of the wearer between the nostrils thereof. 